West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-06-24
OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.
A PLACE FULL OF STRANGE AND
VALUABLE ARTICLES.

Paintings Worth n Fortune-Alexander
Hamilton's Dueling Pistols-A South
erner's Mistake-A Package of Dia-
monds-Story of a Photograph.
"Yes, have received many curious and
antique articles since began business thirty
five years ago." said Robert Taggart to a re-
porter the other day. Mr.. Taggart is pio-
neer in the storage business and his establish
ment is filled with old objects, each OF which
has an interesting history.
"Now, among q vast collection Of fine paint
ings which / got in the course of busi-
ness continued Mr.. Taggart, "are two
which have been told timc and again are
originals by Rubens. One represents the
alteration Of the Saviour in the stable OF
Bethlehem. The subject of the other l do
not know, Us have never met any one who
could tell me- There is an inscription on this
picture in one Of the dead languages, be-
lieve, because have never been able to find
any one learned enough to translate 1t. The
picture represents queen on magnificent
throne giving orders apparently to some OF
the royal guards"
"How did you become possessed OF the
picturcs!" asked the reporter.
"The day the first gun was fired at Fort
Sumter n gentleman who was very well
known here then and hated equally as well
for his avowed sympathy with the southern
cause came into my place and told me he In
tended going south and aiding the Confeder-
ates with his money and every way else he
could. He asked me to take his household
furniture on storage.
"You won't have to keep them long" he
said. The south win win sure, and I'll re-
turn to New York. for can't live anywhere
else.'
NEVER CALLED FOR.
II took his furniture. but it has never been
called for He raisel regiment south and
fell at Bull Run with bis two sons at his side.
He had no near relat yes to mourn his loss and
so | have his furniture still. The Rubenses
were among his chattels and also picture of
Murillo, for which had been offered 100000,
There is practically no price on the Rubenses.
Besides these pictures mentioned l have as
fine gallery of paintings as any connoisseur
would wish to look at have always been
fond of pictures and never tried to dispose OF
any of them, although some Of them would
bring fabulous prices"
Among other articles which Mr.. Taggart
showed to the reporter was n pair OF beauti-
full dueling pistols inlaid with solid gold and
silver, which are the ones, Mr.. Taggart says,
used by Alexander Hamilton in his deadly
encounter with Burr on the Elysian fields,
where Weehawken is now growing up. The
pistols were once owned by Gen. Grant, but
they passed from him to another branch Of
the family, and finally came into the posses
sion of Broadway jeweler, who is unfor-
tunately addicted to drink. During one of
his periodical sprees he placed the pistols.
with some other property, on storage with
Mr. Taggart in order to raise money enough
to continue his debauch He never called for
the weapons and the mans wife warts them
sold, as she says she hates 10 see them lying
around the house when her husband is ON q
spree.
About two months ago." said Mr. Tag
CART. "a well dressed middle aged man came
into my place and, handing me a small
chamoS bag, asked me how much / would
ask to keep it for him for a day or two with
out examining the contents. Twenty-Five
cents replied.
AN OUTRAGEOUS PRICE.
'Well, sir, the fellow kicked like mule
He swore he wouldn't pay such an outrageous
price, and finally beat me down to twenty
cents for two days. Next day q detective from
the Central office came in looking for such a
bag, and told me the fellow who had left it
with me was q famous western crook and
that he had him locked up in the Tombs. |
went down there with the bag, which was
opened in presence of the judge and found to
contain diamonds valued at nearly 800, 900
1t surprised me that man wishing and think
ing he could safely conceal such plunder
would kick about the cost, especially when
you consider the little asked him.
"Oh, this is the saddest thing ever recol-
lect," continued Mr.. Taggart, as he showed
the reporter a photograph of laughing, fresh
faced, curly haired girl. "She came into my
place one day about two years ago and put a
few little effects in storage. Next morning
she jumped from ferryboat into the North
river. When her body was recovered my re-
ceipt for her furniture was all that was found
on her buried her and then proceeded to
trace her history. 1t was the old story. She
was the darling daughter of curate in a
little country town in the north of the state.
A city stranger met and wooed her secretly
and she finally consented to elope with him.
When they came to this city he deceived her
further by mock marriage, and when he
finally deserted her she found cut that he was @
gambler. Then she determined TO kill herself.
Her sad end, which l could not help telling
her father and mother, broke their poor old
hearts and they soon followed her to the other
world"
Among many other curious things which
Mr. Taggart has are skeletons, cofiins, grand
fathers clocks, horses, sheep, COWS, in fact all
kinds of animals and fowl, and as a curiosity
shop in every respect his place cannot be
beaten.-New York Journal Interview.